象思维视域下论治雄激素性脱发.

Image thinking in traditional Chinese medicine ( TCM) is a way of thinking to establish connections with corresponding “images” and to explore the links between the essential laws of TCM and the material attributes, laws, and properties known in nature. Based on traditional image thinking, we compare hair to trees and combine TCM with the modern understanding of androgenetic alopecia to describe its pathogenesis. It is believed that plants and trees wither in dry conditions. This is similar to a lack of kidney essence; when blood can’t be transformed into essence,resulting in damage to emptiness of hair follicles, hair shrivels and falls off. Similarly, plants and trees can die due to excessive water over a long period of time, which is analogous to steaming on the parietal bone due to dampness-heat; the hair root is soaked, becomes soft, and dies. In other cases, because of soil hardening and poor permeability, the root cannot grow, which is analogous to blood stasis in the hair follicle; the flow of qi in the meridians is not smooth and the hair roots are not moistened, resulting in hair loss. The treatment of androgenic alopecia is therefore analogous to the treatment of natural plants and trees. Plants and trees need to be fertilized and irrigated; in analogy, the kidney should be nourished to secure the root so as to replenish yin and grow hair. Plants and trees need water drainage; similarly, turbidity and the fat should be transformed and reduced to strengthen the roots. Plants and trees need loose soil; in analogy, in the scalp, blood stasis should be removed to improve the blood supply of hair follicles. Furthermore, new hairs are like seedlings; therefore, we should pay attention to disease aftercare. This article discusses the treatment of androgenic alopecia based on image thinking in order to provide a new perspective for the clinical treatment of androgenic alopecia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]